The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star Medal to SMSgt. Shawn Ricchuito, with the 886th Civil Engineer Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, for his actions while deployed to support operations in Southwest Asia. Ricchuito served as chief of the 379th Expeditionary CE Squadron, part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which supports operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ricchuito shepherded 240 personnel from 35 installations during four air and space expeditionary force rotations. (Ramstein photo release by SSgt. Jocelyn Rich)
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.

